


And Isn't This A Crime

by Rhiannon_A_Christy



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: F/M, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Sherlock interacting with kids, The Great Mouse Detective inspired, sherlolly romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-21
Updated: 2014-03-29
Packaged: 2018-01-13 05:59:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1215280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhiannon_A_Christy/pseuds/Rhiannon_A_Christy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sherlock has had some unexpected clients in his time; but not one as surprising as Lidia Montgomery. Intrigued, Sherlock and Molly find themselves embroiled in the little girl’s case, along the way finding both old friends and each other. The Great Mouse Detective inspired Sherlolly.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Preface

Preface

* * *

Professor Montgomery smiled over at his daughter as she ignored the last few bites of her dinner. Lidia gestured wildly as she went over what her imaginary friend and her had done that day. His daughter had always had an impressive imagination, he just wished he could get her to put it on hold until she actually finished eating, then again he wouldn't trade these moments with her for anything.

He reached over, deftly catching a spoon when Lidia accidentally knocked it off with her elbow. She had always been rather clumsy, though not as bad as her mother. Helen could trip and fall while barefoot and on a flat surface.

A sad smile touched his lips as he thought about his late wife, he wished she could have been there to see their little girl grow up. Then again there were things he was glad she would never know about.

He placed the spoon back on the table and instead reached over to run his hands down Lidia's bright red mane. Yes, there were some things he was glad his sweet Helen never had to deal with.

Just as Lidia was about to tell her daddy about the wonderful adventure with the will-o-the-wisps her and Minnie had, the sound of cracking wood came from the front door.

Logan Montgomery had a lot of enemies, and even more that wanted to use him and his knowledge, and each and every one of them were a danger to his little girl.

Jumping up from his chair, he made little time of pulling Lidia from hers and setting her on the floor. He looked to the kitchen doorway and to a cabinet on the other side of the room.

"Lidia, remember what I told you to do in case someone enters the house when they are not suppose to?" Logan kneeled down, his hand caressing her hair as he looked into her eyes. They had been over this many times, even going so far as performing drills.

"Yes…Daddy?" Lidia didn't like the look her father was giving her, it scared her, as had the loud crash in the other room.

"Keep quiet and just do it, now." Leaning forward, Logan placed a kiss on her forehead before pulling back. He would be damned if they got their hands on his daughter.

"But Daddy?" Lidia balled her hands into fists. She knew she should listen to her daddy, he had told her many times that there were bad…very bad men that wanted to hurt them. Only Lidia was scared for her daddy, she didn't know what she would do if he left like her mummy did.

"Lidia, don't fight me on this. Go, and just remember what you are supposed to do." Logan pushed his daughter towards the cabinet, pleading for her to hurry. She wouldn't be safe if whomever had broken in knew where she had went.

Realizing that she wasn't going to win, Lidia nodded and ducked inside of a cabinet; opening up a back panel to crawl inside and quickly shut it. She grabbed a hold of a small teddy bear her Daddy had put in there to help protect her and waited.

It wasn't long before she could hear another man in the kitchen with her Daddy, he had a low voice and it frightened her. She wanted to rush out of her little cubby when she heard the strange man yell at her father, but Daddy had told her that no matter what she was supposed to stay there until no one was around, or he told her to come out.

She held her hands over her ears as her father and the man yelled and things around her house crashed. She huddled herself into a little ball and cried as quietly as she could. Eventually everything went silent.

She pulled one of her sleeves down to cover her hand and used it to wipe away the snot and tears on her face. Her daddy would be upset, he had always told her that she would ruin all her pretty dresses if she continued to do that, but she hoped he would forgive her just this once. She had been so scared after all.

Crawling over to the panel, she slowly opened it back up and peeked outside. With her head just sticking out amongst several pots and pans, she could just make out the state of the kitchen.

The table had been tipped over along with the chairs, and food had been splattered all over the floor. She couldn't see her daddy, or the strange man. She wanted to cry again, but Daddy had been very clear about what she needed to do. So after a few more minutes; just to make sure that Daddy wasn't hiding anywhere like her, she ducked back into her cubby and grabbed her teddy.

The back of the doll had been cut open with a zipper stitched into it, her secret treasure Daddy had called it. Opening it up she took out a handful of money and a piece of paper with the address; 221B Baker Street scrawled on it in her daddy's handwriting.

With tears still falling down her face and the money and paper in her hand, Lidia ventured outside and headed straight for the man her Daddy had told her would always help her when she needed it; Mr Sherlock Holmes.

* * *


	2. No Time For Lost Fathers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doorbells, Double Shifts, friendships, Lidia arrives, a highly inappropriate suggestion.

Chapter One: No Time For Lost Fathers

* * *

Things had changed since Sherlock had returned from his four minute exile, though Sherlock would be the first to say that he was surprised at just what those changes were. It wasn't the fact that John was now married, or Mary having given birth to their daughter; Elisabeth Jane Watson, or Lizzie Jane.

It wasn't even the fact that he had actually killed a man; though that event still plagued his mind constantly. No, it was his ever growing friendship with Molly Hooper.

The nature of their relationship had already changed once before, when he had returned from his two years of being 'dead.' They had actually formed a tentative friendship that had only grown, turning into whatever it was they had now. No one seemed to agree on just what they had; a friendship, a relationship beyond mere admiration. The label changed depending on who you talked to.

To most they were simply close friends, though there were exceptions. Greg Lestrade called Molly Sherlock's living skull, Mrs Hudson said they were friends and colleagues, John and Mary insisted that the two were well on their way into the bedroom, while Anderson swore up and down they were already there. But to Molly and Sherlock….they were just that, Molly and Sherlock.

It wasn't all that strange to find Sherlock at Molly's, camped out in her room while she watched inane reality shows. Just as it was hardly shocking to find Molly over at 221, anymore it was where she was most days when she wasn't at Bart's.

Molly had taken it upon herself to keep watch over Sherlock. Maybe it was just because she cared for him, or the fact that Moriarty was back, but Molly decided that it was her duty to make sure he ate and slept. Funnily enough, it also became her job to fill in for John on cases when the aforementioned doctor was unavailable.

For Sherlock's part, he found that he enjoyed the woman's company far too much to allow her out of his life. She understood him in a way that few ever had; all of his quirks and unusual habits, and she more often than not found them endearing.

The fact was, whatever the proper title for them, neither of them cared. They loved and cared for each other, and that was all there was to it.

* * *

Molly curled herself up a bit more, pulling the blanket up to tuck under her legs. For some reason there was always a bit of a chill in 221B; even when there was a fire in the hearth, which there currently was not, but Molly was too tired to rectify the situation.

She had ended up working a double shift because her colleague had called in sick, and Molly being Molly, had readily agreed to fill in. She was regretting it now, as she knew she would, as her legs and back ached. Thankfully Sherlock's chair was the best place to rest her tired body, though it was too bad she wouldn't be able to convince the consulting detective to start a fire for her.

Had she even asked, Sherlock wouldn't have heard her. Currently he had his face pressed almost flush with the table in the kitchen as he worked on one of his various experiments; this time a study in maggots in relation to the decomposition of poisoned flesh. It was quite fascinating actually.

Sherlock was just about to cut into a fairly large maggot when the doorbell chimed throughout the flat. The scalpel dropped from his hand, the squirming maggot making a successful escape to the corner of the dish it was in, all while Sherlock looked up and gave the woman in the other room a withering glare.

"You had the bell fixed, didn't you?" He never understood why everyone thought that damned bell was necessary. The bloody thing was a nuisance, always ringing at the most inopportune time, such as that moment.

"Of course I did. Really Sherlock, the amount of times you have disabled the thing and made Mrs Hudson pay for it is embarrassing." Molly couldn't believe the stories Martha and John had about what Sherlock had done to the bell. From shooting it to rigging it so it would short out when it was pushed, he had done just about everything imaginable.

"I've never asked her to fix it; you would think the old woman would take a hint that I despise the thing." He wasn't sure what he would have to do, but he was close to making it give a minor shock whenever it was pushed. Maybe if Mrs Hudson thought he would actually harm someone she would finally silence the idiotic device.

"Oh, she has taken the hint, but she doesn't care. You need the doorbell, end of discussion." Sometimes it was like dealing with a child, always explaining why he wasn't allowed to do something. Molly took it all in stride though, she looked at it much as John did, training for her future children.

"No it isn't, and no I don't. Mrs Hudson is perfectly happy in answering the door for me, she is after all my housekeeper." So she might complain every now and then, but she still answered it. Had it actually irritated her she wouldn't ever bother.

"I don't know why she puts up with you, why any of us do really." Molly rolled her eyes at the look Sherlock sent her way, his irritation quickly giving way to something that on anyone else could be considered flirtatious.

"Because you all love and adore me, and your lives would be boring if I were gone." Sherlock winked, watching as a slight pink hue rose up Molly's neck and to her cheeks. He had noticed the same thing happen on multiple occasions, mainly when he said or did something that flustered her. At first it had been annoying; he really didn't need some woman fawning over him. Though lately Sherlock found that he enjoyed the look on her and endeavored to cause it to happen as often as he could.

"It is really troubling how true that actually is. Still, Mrs Hudson isn't your housekeeper, and you need that bloody bell." She turned her head away from the smirking detective, trying to mentally will her cheeks to cool down. It wasn't fair that he could still do that to her. She wished she could find one thing, just one damn thing that would fluster him. At least short of shedding all her clothes; though she would be lying if she said that she had never thought about it.

The doorbell rang again and again, and after a moment Molly flung herself from the chair and stomped downstairs.

"Oh fine, I'll just get it. I mean it is not like I've spent two shifts on my feet with my arms elbows deep in dead bodies." Molly ignored the insincere words of thanks from the kitchen and flung open the door once she had made her way fully downstairs.

For a moment everything was quiet as Molly stood there wide-eyed at the little girl standing soaked to the bone, tears pouring down her face.

"Is this 221B Baker Street, Ma'am?" The little girl rung her hands nervously as she stood there in the rain, her boot clad feet bouncing back and forth as she tried to keep herself warm.

"Uh, yes…Can I help you?" Seeing the little girl's distress finally knocked the shock from Molly. It wasn't as though Sherlock had never had children come to him for help, but it was always a surprise when it happened.

"I need to see Mr Holmes, is he home?" A shiver ran up her spine, after going all that way she hoped he was home. She was tired and cold, and her boots were pinching her toes.

"Uh, yeah, yeah he is, um come on in." Molly held the door open, allowing the girl to step inside and out of the rain.

"Th-thank you…?" Pushing back her thick mane of red hair, the young girl looked up with a question in her eyes.

"Oh, I'm Molly Hooper, and what is your name?" Molly leaned down, looking past the dripping red hair. She was sure once dry the girl's hair was probably a wild mass of curls.

"Lidia Montgomery, Ma'am." Lidia pushed her hair back again, annoyed at it. Her daddy normally tied it back for her to keep it out of the way. She had tried to do it herself, but all she had managed to do was make a big mess of knots.

"Well Lidia, follow me, Mr Holmes is just upstairs." Standing up, Molly led the little girl up the steps to Sherlock's flat. Every couple of steps she would look behind her, expecting to see an adult that she may have missed following, but there was no one.

Once upstairs Molly directed her to the kitchen, stopping just in the doorway. Molly allowed herself a soft smile as she noticed that Sherlock had finally caught the runaway maggot, and with scalpel raised was just about to cut it open.

"Uh, Sherlock, I think we've a client." Molly laid a hand on Lidia's shoulders and carefully pushed her forward.

Sherlock looked up from what he was doing and gave the girl a once over, a rather unimpressed expression on his face. Rolling his eyes he looked back down at the maggot, completely ignoring Lidia. Molly removed her hands from the girl's shoulders and placed them on her hips, sending a glare at Sherlock that would have made a weaker man cower.

"Sherlock, I said we've a new client." Molly's voice was hard and it did its job when Sherlock looked up once again, locking eyes with Lidia.

"Alright, what is it you need? Lost dolly, dog, cat, what?" It wasn't that Sherlock hated children, no matter what the public wanted to portray. In fact he found himself drawn to them when they were in the room, at least he did with Lizzie Jane, his Goddaughter. The problem was when they came to him for help. Molly and Mrs Hudson always found it to be…adorable…but to Sherlock it was a waste of time as they always wanted some toy or animal found. The cases were barely even a one.

"It's not a dolly, it's my Daddy!" Lidia stomped her boot clad foot on the floor, crossing her arms over her chest. Daddy had always scolded her for acting such a way, saying that it was childish and the mark of a brat, but at the moment she couldn't have cared less. Her daddy was missing and the man was being rude!

Sherlock rolled his eyes, and immediately returned to his experiment. The child's parents had most likely split and hadn't yet told their daughter. It amazed him how many parents thought it a good idea to lie to their children.

"Surely your Mother knows where he is. In my personal experience the one always keeps tack of the other."

"I don't have a mother." Lidia's voice grew a bit softer. She might not remember her mother, but Daddy had made sure she knew about her; showing her pictures and video, telling her stories.

Sherlock's hand slipped just as he was about to cut the maggot in half, instead nicking his finger with the scalpel. He looked down at the small bead of blood with a grimace, quickly pulling a handkerchief from his pocket to clean it before gathering himself to continue his work. He knew if he chanced a look sideways he would be confronted with a disapproving look from Molly, so instead he focused on the dish before him.

"I'm sorry, but I just don't have time for lost fathers." He heard the weary sigh from Molly, but he refused to be manipulated.

"He isn't lost, he was taken!" Again Lidia stomped her foot, this time much harder. Daddy had always told her that Mr Holmes was a good man that would always help her when needed, but he didn't seem good at all, he was just rude!

Sherlock slowly put down the scalpel, turning around in his chair to once again give the girl a look over. There was something familiar about the full head of bushy red hair and bright blue eyes; the shape of the face and turn of the nose. Something familiar enough to tickle at his mind.

"What did you say your name was again?" Sherlock leaned forward just enough that he was almost eye to eye with the young girl.

"I'm Lidia Montgomery." Lidia puffed out her chest, chin held high.

"Your father wouldn't happen to be Professor Logan Montgomery, would it?" Placing his elbows on his knees, he steepled his hands under his chin. He should have seen it the moment she came in, the hair and facial structure was much the same. Oh there were differences, such as the placement and shape of the ears, but otherwise she was the spitting image of her father.

"Yes, and he was taken!" She was tired of trying to make the man understand. She was cold and wet and she missed her daddy.

Sherlock jumped up from his chair, clapping his hands together as a huge grin came over his face. This was definitely more than a one.

"I'll take the case. Now, go sit by the…" Sherlock waved towards the hearth only to stop short. "Molly why isn't there a fire?" It was chilly in the flat, and while it normally didn't bother him, he knew Molly had trouble keeping warm. He figured it was a side effect to working in a cold morgue all day.

"Sherlock…never mind I'll just go light one shall I?" Molly didn't bother to argue with the man, not when it looked like he was finally taking an interest in the little girl's case. She had been worried there for awhile, mostly after Sherlock continued to brush her off.

"Good, good. Now, Miss Montgomery go sit by the fire, I have a few questions for you." A person such as Professor Montgomery being abducted could never be trivial. Not with the influences and resources that he had at his fingertips.

Lidia stomped into the other room, still angry at Mr Holmes, and plopped herself down in the large black chair.

Molly kneeled down in front of the hearth, quickly working to build up a healthy fire. She leaned back against the heels of her feet for a moment, allowing the ache in her back to fade. She rolled her eyes as Sherlock ignored her, and sat down in John's chair and once again steepled his fingers.

"Now, Miss Montgomery, tell me everything that happened."

Molly leaned back just enough to place one of her hands on the low lying cushion of John's chair. A shiver ran up her spine as Sherlock, still focused on Lidia, placed a hand down to grasp hers in order to help her stand.

It had been like that between the two of them lately. Molly had always been a bit of a touchy person, randomly hugging her friends or leaning against their sides while out and about. Sherlock on the other hand was one of those people that had a personal space of about ten feet in all directions. So it was of course surprising when, close to a month ago, he began to willingly touch her. Not that she minded, not one bit actually.

Molly slid her hand from Sherlock's, watching as he placed it right back against his other one, his eyes intent on Lidia as she spoke. Normally she would have pulled up a chair, pulled out her notebook and starting taking notes. But Lidia's wet clothing and shivering form drove Molly down to 221A, and Mrs Hudson.

The door to her flat was open, as it normally was those days, and Molly walked in to find Mrs Hudson reading by her own fire.

Realizing that someone was in her flat, Mrs Hudson quickly stashed her book between her leg and the arm of the chair, making Molly press her lips together just to keep from laughing. She had caught the older woman before when she was reading, she never would have pegged the motherly woman with liking erotica, though after what Sherlock had told her it really shouldn't have surprised her.

"It's just me." Molly waved a hand in front of her, smiling at the visible relief on the older woman's face.

"Oh, that's good Dear. So did he finally answer his own door?" Not that Martha really needed an answer to her question, she was sure that Sherlock had never really answered a door in his life.

"Are you kidding? I had to get up and answer it, and I worked two shifts today." Molly leaned a bit against the doorframe, wishing for nothing more than a moment of rest.

"I'm sorry. I wish that boy would learn some basic manners." She loved that boy as her own son, but he had truly abhorrent manners. She had had that conversation with his mother, like she had threatened, only it hadn't done very much. Of course Martha wasn't surprised to find out Sherlock had been no better as a child.

"The day he learns how to even say thank you, will be the day the world ends." Well, a well and truly sincere thank you at least. She knew that he appreciated all his friends, but he had trouble saying the actual words. He seemed to be more of an action man when it came to his feelings.

"Sadly true. So, was it a new client?" Pushing her book further down between the cushions, Martha stood up figuring to fix Molly a cup of tea. The poor girl was just about as devoted to her work as Sherlock was, and then after everything she ended her day with helping that ungrateful boy.

"Yes, and um, that was what I've come down here for. It's a little girl, says her father was kidnapped." It bothered Molly, thinking back on how the girl had looked when she opened the door. She had wanted to do nothing but kneel down and wipe the tears off her face.

"Oh dear, the poor thing. Is there anything I can do?" Martha stopped herself before she could enter the kitchen, everything that she could possibly need for the girl running through her head.

"I was hoping you had something we could feed her. Sherlock has been experimenting again, and well, quite frankly I'm scared to see what he has in the fridge." It was always a gamble when one opened the fridge in 221B. Molly swore there were more human body parts in there then there was at Bart's.

"I just don't understand that boy sometimes. Oh well, I think I've got something she could eat."

Martha smiled and motioned Molly into the kitchen. The two quickly gathered a variety of food and headed back upstairs.

Molly would admit that she feared what she would find, having left Sherlock alone with a child for more than five minutes. Visions of fires, tears and broken plates crossed her mind, but what she found was Lidia curled up in the chair with her wet coat still on; Sherlock throwing questions at her left and right, barely taking the time to breathe.

"Sherlock, would you shut up for a minute?" Molly shook her head, she hadn't seen Sherlock this excited about a case in a long time. Of course that didn't necessarily mean anything good.

"Molly, I'm working!" Sherlock waved absentmindedly at Molly, his eyes never leaving the little girl curled up in his chair.

"That is fine, but you can question her later. Right now we need to take care of Lidia." Stepping fully into the room, Molly grabbed a hold of Sherlock's waving hand. She was tempted to smack him with it, but in the end just pressed it down on the arm of the chair.

"Time may be of the essence." Finally removing his eyes from Lidia, Sherlock looked up at the woman beside him. He knew she would never interrupt him unless it was important, still he was sure he was onto something that could change the world as they currently knew it. Of course he didn't tell Molly that, only glared up at her.

"And the girl is still in her wet clothes! I think you can allow us time to get her dry and comfortable." Keeping her eyes focused on Sherlock, Molly refused to move. The little girl needed to be tended to and he would just have to deal with it.

"Fine, have at it." Annoyed, Sherlock stood quickly from the chair, his eyes narrowed. Without another word he stomped his way over to the sofa, flopping down on it in a pout.

Rolling their eyes at the overgrown child, Molly and Mrs Hudson got right to work on getting Lidia out of her coat, dry and sitting at Sherlock's desk with a plate of food; as the kitchen table was still covered with maggots and dead human flesh.

Molly closed off the room, hoping that Lidia hadn't realized just what Sherlock had been working with. They really didn't need to scar the poor girl.

"Do you happen to have any other family that we could call?" Mrs Hudson kneeled down the best she could at Lidia's side, watching on with a wide smile as the girl dung into her meal with gusto.

"No, it is just me and my Daddy." Lidia stuffed a bit of roll into her mouth, careful not to chew with her mouth open. It was hard though, she was just so hungry, and the older lady's cooking was so good.

"Well, you will just have to stay here then." Moving slowly, Martha stood. Her back and hips let out a loud crack, but she ignored it. She had too many things that needed to be prepared for Lidia.

Sherlock sat up quickly, a series of sputtering noises coming from his mouth as he tried to formulate a response. In the end he was only able to spurt out a squeaked, "That is highly inappropriate," before going absolutely quiet.

"Nonsense, she can stay in John's old room. It is a bit dusty, but the bed has clean linens on it. Anyway, since I just live downstairs it will be perfectly fine." Martha waved Sherlock's concerns away, the boy worried and complained about things way too much. In her opinion having a child about would do him some good.

Molly stood by the fire, looking back and forth between Sherlock and Lidia. She decided that Mrs Hudson had to have been high if she thought this was a good idea. Sure, Lidia needed a place to stay, but she was sure that 221B was not it. He was too much of a child himself to be in charge of one on his own.

"Do whatever you want, you're the landlady." Flopping back down onto the sofa, Sherlock turned his back on everyone while curling himself around a pillow. He didn't need some little knee-biter getting under foot. Not now when he had finally found a case worth his time. Couldn't Mrs Hudson house her on her couch, or even Molly?

"Oh, now he remembers!" Martha threw her hands up in the air. It was a wonder his parents had any hair on their heads at all if this was what he was like growing up.

"Um, Mrs Hudson, why don't you go and get the room ready? I'll just watch over these two." Molly sighed when Mrs Hudson didn't argue and simply left. She sat herself back down in Sherlock's chair, finally dried from the roaring fire, and re-covered herself with the blanket. She had a feeling that she wouldn't be getting the rest she had been hoping for. Then again, she should have known better when it came to 221B and Sherlock.

* * *

As the evening progressed, Mrs Hudson put a sleepy Lidia to bed, leaving both Molly and Sherlock by the now dying fire. Sherlock had finally finished his pout when he realized that he wouldn't be getting his way, and had reluctantly moved to sit in John's chair. Though if he was being honest the blasted thing was quickly becoming his as Molly seemed to have commandeered his.

"Sherlock, are you alright?" Molly had watched him the rest of the night, and even after his pout he seemed off somehow. She didn't understand it, he had been excited about having a new case, but it seemed the more he thought on it the more bothered he became.

"I'm fine." Sherlock glanced over at Molly, and though he didn't really feel it, he gave her a small smile. He knew out of everyone in his life she could look straight through him, though it never stopped him from trying to pretend around her.

Molly didn't believe him of course, but she knew better than to call him out on it when he looked the way he did. Instead she just looked back into the fire and allowed the silence to come over them again. Within minutes Sherlock stood and began to pace back and forth.

It was only moments later that he came to stand beside her, and placed a hand on her shoulder. Though just until she looked up at him, and then he removed it.

"You better return home, you do have the morning shift tomorrow."

Molly gave him a smile while she stood, but instead of leaving right away she placed a hand on his arm and looked up at him.

"Are you sure you're alright, and please do not lie to me. Remember, I can see through all of that." She squeezed his arm slightly, her fingers digging in just enough to create small wrinkles in the fabric of his shirt.

She had been expecting him to say something along the lines of how much of a bother it was to have the girl staying with him, or maybe that he thought the case wasn't as important as he had originally thought. What he did say however made Molly want to sink back down in the chair and curl up.

"I was just thinking. The fact that Lidia's father is Professor Montgomery, I'm afraid that biological warfare is on the horizon." He had been thinking about it since Lidia revealed who she was, and he had come to only one conclusion.

"What?" Molly's hand and mouth dropped. She had heard of Professor Montgomery in passing, though she had never paid much mind as he didn't work in the same field as her. One of her colleagues had spoken of him a few times, and now she was wishing she had actually listened instead of drifting off into a daydream.

"Professor Logan Montgomery is the leading expert in weaponized pathogens. It can't be a coincidence that he was abducted. There is only one reason to kidnap a man of such expertise, and that is if you are planning on using his knowledge." Knowledge that could bring the entire world to its knees.

"Do you have any idea who might be behind all of this?" Molly felt ill thinking about what she just heard, and found herself wrapping her arms around her stomach.

Sherlock opened his mouth to tell her, but the memory of the night they all found out that Moriarty was alive and the ensuing conversation made him change his mind. Molly had held herself up well, going on and on about how it all had to be a hoax. He of course hadn't bought a word of it, and soon Molly was winding herself up in a panic. He had assured her that he would keep her safe, and that had at least calmed her down, though it hadn't chased away the fear he saw in her eyes.

"No, at the moment I couldn't say."

Molly nodded her head, though she was sure he was lying, and that scared her, because it pretty much confirmed the fears that started pounding away at her mind. But he was trying to be nice and protect her, and she was tired enough at the moment to let him.

"Well, I know you'll figure it out and solve this quickly." Molly placed her hand on his arm again, running it down to his hand before turning and going to the door. It was all just a bit too much at the moment, and so after quick goodbye she left.

Sherlock walked to the window and watched as Molly left, a heavy weight in his stomach. Before the fall Molly was the one person that everyone ignored. Because of that Moriarty had seen her as nothing more than a tool, a means to an end. He had ignored her, saving her life and allowing her to save his. Only now their friendship and her importance to him was well known. It put her in danger, mostly as he was sure Moriarty would be angry at having overlooked something so important.

Sherlock moved from the window once Molly was in a cab, and grabbed his violin as he thought about what the girl had said. Even though he had assured his brother that he had infiltrated and completely dismantled the whole of Moriarty's web, he had lied. There had been one man that he had come close to capturing time and time again, and each time he had gotten away. Sebastian Moran. The last time he had seen him he had been mortally wounded, and Sherlock had hoped he was no longer an issue. Sadly he was beginning to think that he had been wrong.

Still it didn't add up. Moriarty liked control and power. He didn't want to destroy the government, he wanted to own it. So what did he want with Professor Montgomery? Had he completely lost his mind during his exile?

Sitting down in his chair he knew he wouldn't be sleeping much that night.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Ok, sorry this took awhile, I ended up catching a stupid cold and I couldn't think through all the cold meds.
> 
> Anyway, here is the new chapter, hope everyone enjoyed it. Also, I hope that Sherlock is not too OOC in this. I wanted them to be more flirty in this one than what I had them in CaA, more like they were already on their way to finding themselves together and comfortable enough in each other's company to flirt and tease.
> 
> Next Chapter: Crumbs in lap, left alone, bathroom, research, Sherlock can't say no.
> 
> **Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**


	3. Adorable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crumbs in lap, left alone, bathroom, research, Sherlock can’t say no.

The next morning Sherlock was awoken from his slumbering to find that he had not only fallen asleep in his chair, but he currently had a small five year old child in his lap. He looked down at Lidia with a raised brow, taking in the glass of milk and one of Mrs Hudson's tarts she had in her hands. He had woken up in strange positions before, most of them occurring during his two years away, but he figured this topped them all.

He was about to tell the girl to remove herself from his person, only before he could even open his mouth Mrs Hudson practically burst into the room with his morning tea. His face went blank as he watched her silently as she prepared his cup with a little smirk playing along her lips. He wasn't sure what the look was for, but he knew that it annoyed him to no end.

Forgoing speaking for the moment, he simply tried to remove Lidia from his lap by carefully pushing on her legs and shoulders, only she ignored him and just cuddled up closer to his chest. Mrs Hudson tutted at him like she was wont to do when she was scolding him, making him roll his eyes. He already had one mother that delighted in scolding him, he really didn't relish having another.

"The poor dear just watched as her father was kidnapped, the least you could do is allow her whatever comfort she wants." She had known that Sherlock would grumble on when he woke to find the little girl in his lap, but she couldn't find it in her to say no when Lidia had crawled up his legs and settled against his chest. It was the sweetest thing she had actually seen, more so because sleeping Sherlock had wrapped his arms around the child and held her close. Of course she would never tell him that, he would have a full blown conniption.

"I'm not denying her comfort, but does it really have to be on my lap? She is getting crumbs everywhere." He cringed as said crumbs toppled down his clean, well once clean, white shit and gathered in a little pile at the top of his trousers. He was just glad that Lidia was as old as she was; he didn't like to think about the many times that Lizzie had spit up on him.

"Crumbs never hurt anyone; and I wouldn't complain, I can't recall how many times I've found crumbs all over your bed." She hated cleaning up after him after he finished a case, she swore he binged on biscuits in the middle of the night.

Sherlock rolled his eyes and declined to comment as he took the offered cup of tea. She was over exaggerating, sure sometimes he would eat in bed, but not enough for her to complain.

With Lidia still ensconced in his lap, Sherlock watched with an exasperated expression as Mrs Hudson fretted around the flat. She always had something to titter on about; the amount of dust, dirty dishes left about, fingers in the fridge or the time she found a set of lungs floating in the bathtub. Most of the time he just let it go in one ear and out the other. He hadn't been lying when he said he had Mrs Hudson on semi-permanent mute. He adored the old woman, but she could grate on his nerves like no other.

"I swear Sherlock, this place isn't fit for a child. You can't just leave body parts lying around like books you know." Martha had learned long ago that she would need an iron stomach to clean 221B. The first couple of times she had found some piece of the human body in the kitchen she had shrieked and promptly gotten sick. Really, who kept toes in the oven to dry out?

"I do believe that I mentioned that already, when you brought up the idea of allowing the girl to stay actually." Why did no one ever listen to him? He liked his flat just the way it was, and he refused to change it just because it was "unseemly."

"I understand why John and Mary never bring Lizzie 'round." At first she had expected the little girl to be around often, as Sherlock was her Godfather. Though she had only seen her actually over for a visit a handful of times, mostly he just went to her. Carefully gathering the squirming pile of maggots on the kitchen table, she didn't blame John and Mary one bit.

"They never bring her over because I don't want her here." Sherlock's voice was quiet as he spoke, more a whisper than anything. He ignored the rather sarcastic look his landlady threw him, one that assured him that she knew he was lying.

It wasn't that he didn't want his Goddaughter around, but more that he didn't want to have to change his home. Mary had been very vocal about the state of 221B, and how it related to the amount of time he got to spend with Lizzie there. He didn't understand it, it wasn't like he was planning on allowing her to mess with any of his experiments.

Lidia remained quiet the entire time, finishing her tart while watching the two banter back and forth. Mrs Hudson continued to mutter on about body parts and various unidentified fluids as she worked, hoping that at least one thing she said would actually stick in that overgrown child's head, and yet knowing nothing ever would. For his part Sherlock just gazed into the cold hearth, ignoring the small child in his lap.

It wasn't until he felt the weight on his chest increase that he looked down to notice that Lidia had fallen asleep, her empty glass held precariously by quickly loosening fingers and her head resting heavily against his chest. The sight created a strange feeling in his throat, but he ignored it, mostly when he heard the most undignified noise come out of his landlady.

"Oh Sherlock, isn't that the sweetest thing you have ever seen?" A smile stretched from ear to ear as Martha watched Lidia sleep curled up against the warmth of Sherlock's chest. There was nothing that warmed her heart as much as watching the consulting detective with children.

"I'm sure that I don't know what you are going on about Mrs Hudson." What was it about women when it came to men with children? Mary was always going on and on about how adorable it was to see him holding Lizzie, acting like he was some puppy doing tricks for her amusement.

"Of course you do, don't be a pain dear; there is nothing wrong in acknowledging how endearing you find that Lidia is comfortable enough to fall asleep in your lap." The smile did not waver once, in fact it only grew larger the more Sherlock protested. Oh how she would love to see him with his own little one some day.

"It is not endearing, she is going to drool all over my shirt." Drool that was mixed with tart, lovely.

"Say what you like, but I've seen you around Lizzie, and that nice boy from the wedding. What was his name, Angus?" She had to admit that she had been worried when the young boy had shown up for his pre-wedding interview, but when she had gone up to check on them they had acted as though they were the best of friends.

"Archie." Sherlock rolled his eyes, he knew perfectly well that Mrs Hudson remembered the boy's name.

"Oh, right. Well I know you still keep in contact with him; sending him e-mails and such about cases." The boy was like a mini Sherlock, what with the way he had deduced the murderer at the wedding.

"The boy has an interest in detective work, who am I to hinder a great mind's development?" He wouldn't admit that he also enjoyed conversing with the boy, he had a sharp mind and a natural talent for puzzle solving.

"If you say so dear. Well, I've done all I can right now, though I am sure I will find something else later on that needs tidying up." Martha pulled off her gloves, the smile still plastered on her face.

"Wait, wait, where are you going?" Sherlock tried to sit up straighter, but as he moved Lidia began slipping further down his legs requiring him to wrap his arms around her so she wouldn't fall to the floor.

"I'm off to the shops. Lidia didn't bring a thing with her, and she can't go around wearing your old shirts. Little girls need certain things. Now, I'll be back as soon as I can. Do try to stay out of trouble." Maybe it was a mistake leaving him there with Lidia all on his own, though if Mary trusted him with Lizzie she was sure she could trust him with a five year old.

Not giving him time to object, she made her way as quickly as she could down the stairs. If given time, she was sure he would convince her to take the girl with her. Well convince really wasn't the right word, more like he would have taken off or done something that left her with no other option. It was one of his many annoying habits.

Once Mrs Hudson had gone, Sherlock gathered Lidia up the best he could and placed her on the sofa. He wasn't sure how long a girl her age would nap, but he didn't relish the idea of wearing his soiled clothes from the day before for much longer. There was also the beginnings of stubble along his jaw, and he refused to go around unshaven since his return. With one final look down at the girl he left to ready himself for the day.

* * *

Freshly showered and dressed, Sherlock settled down at his desk to power up his laptop. He really needed to get out there, examine Lidia's home for clues, but currently he couldn't leave his flat. He would have to settle for researching online.

He had just started chatting with one of Professor Montgomery's past students when he noticed movement beside him. He turned his head to find Lidia staring up at him while fidgeting, hopping from one foot to the other. He turned back to the screen, hoping to ignore her, but her jumping up and down was becoming bothersome.

"What is your problem?" Informing the student; which he had already deduced would be of no use; that he would have to leave, he turned until he was facing Lidia head on.

"I have to pee?" Lidia continued to hop from foot to foot, her bladder practically screaming she had to go so bad.

"Well, the toilet is just down there." Sherlock waved his hand in the general direction and turned hoping that the conversation was now over.

"I know where it is, but I can't reach the handle!" She had already tried to open the door, but she was too short.

"Well…just jump higher." He had noticed that Lidia was smaller than the average girl her age, but surely she wasn't so short she couldn't open doors.

"I can't, and Daddy always stands outside the door and whistles so I can go." The hopping increased, though she was beginning to have to squeeze her legs together.

"I'm not doing something so…silly." Sherlock blinked down at the girl, visibly cringing as Lidia began crying. Why was she crying, did girls cry when they had to use the restroom?

"Please! I don't want to pee my pants like a bad girl!" She was a good girl, really she was, but she had to go so bad that it actually hurt.

She was still crying, why was she still crying? He had seen Lizzie cry, but she was just a baby and that was what babies did, but Lidia was older. It was bothersome enough when his Goddaughter brought on the tears, but Lidia just looked pitiful and the tears running down her face made Sherlock very uncomfortable.

With a huff Sherlock shut his laptop and stood up, walking to the bathroom with Lidia following behind him. He opened the door and looked down at her, the tears on her cheeks thankfully starting to dry.

"You won't be needing any…help with anything else will you?" He cleared his throat, standing awkwardly to the side.

"No." Lidia shook her head as she ran into the bathroom, the door closing behind her. "You're not whistling!"

"That is because I'm not going to subject myself to such an indignantly." Sherlock stuffed his hands into his trouser pockets and leaned against the wall. He wanted to return to his research, but if she couldn't get in then she couldn't very well get out on her own either.

"I really, really have to pee so please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please…" Lidia kicked her legs back and forth, practically in tears again as she pleaded with Mr Holmes.

"Would you stop that?" If this was what little girls were normally like he would have to have a talk with John, he was her Godfather and he thought it his duty to make sure she rose above the ordinary and didn't act…well didn't annoy her Godfather like Lidia Montgomery was at the moment.

"Not until you whistle! Please, please, please, please, please, please…"

"Fine, fine! Just shut up!" Finding himself to the point of actually yelling at a child, Sherlock reluctantly started whistling. It was an indignity he was very glad no one was around to witness. After a moment he finally heard the toilet flush, and immediately ceased the idiotic whistling.

"I'm done!" Lidia straightened her skirt and looked up at the sink with a huff. Her daddy said that there was nothing wrong with being little, as great things always came in small packages, but he didn't know what it was like.

When Sherlock opened the door he found Lidia struggling to reach the tap, so with a sigh he walked in, turned on the water and picked her up by the waist so she could wash her hands. Lidia looked back at him with a watery smile before proceeding in washing her hands.

Once done and back on the floor, Lidia headed straight for Sherlock's chair where she curled up. Sherlock just looked at her a moment, wondering if she planned to take another nap, before heading back to his laptop. Thinking that she would remain quiet he ignored her until he felt a small hand come to rest on his knee. He looked down at her to find she was crying once again, and again it made him uncomfortable.

"What is your problem now? Surely you don't have to go again?" It hadn't been but maybe ten minutes, he knew she had a small bladder, but it couldn't be that small!

"I thought you were going to find my Daddy!" Lidia cried harder, her hands twisting in her skirt. This is not at all what she had been expecting. Mr Holmes was supposed to be a good man, that is always what her daddy had told her.

"That is what I'm doing." If he had ever felt like pinching the bridge of his nose, it was at that very moment. How did anyone expect him to work when he had a child to look after? Mostly one as irritating at this one.

"No, you are playing on the computer." Lidia crossed her arms over her chest, if Mr Holmes thought she was stupid enough to buy that!

"I'm not playing…look I'm using the computer in order to gather information that will help me find your father. I'm talking to other people on their computers to see if they have seen him, alright?" He lifted a brow as he looked down at the crying girl, a sigh of relief escaping his lips as she quieted and simply nodded her head.

"Can I help?" Uncrossing her arms, she reached up to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. She had never thought about using the computer to find her daddy, at home the only time she got to use it was for playing games.

Sherlock had thought to say no, at least until he looked into her eyes and remembered one other child that had stood there beside him. Archie had been excited to see the pictures from his cases, and he hadn't had someone important on the line like Lidia did.

He nodded and held out a hand, taking Lidia's small one and helping her climb up into his lap so she could see the screen better. She bounced a little bit before he settled her down and wrapped a single arm around her waist and used his free hand to type. Not the easiest, but much better than dealing with tears.

* * *

It was two hours later that Mrs Hudson returned with bags filled to the brim with everything she thought a little girl would need. She had prayed almost the entire time she was gone that Sherlock would behave, it really wouldn't surprise her to find the whole place in shambles, she just hoped that he would act the adult for once.

The flat was thankfully still intact, there was no crying or screaming, no smoke or signs of an apocalypse. What she found instead left her standing in the doorway to 221B with her mouth hanging open, for there sat Sherlock; typing away with Lidia perched on his lap.

"Really Sherlock, showing a child that young those pictures on your computer…" She knew he had shown them to that sweet boy from the wedding, not that she approved of it then, but at least he was older than Lidia. Some of the pictures that Sherlock retained gave her nightmares, she didn't want to think about what it would do to such a young child.

"I'm helping to find Daddy!" Lidia bounced up and down a couple of times as she sent a wide smile to Mrs Hudson. She liked that Mr Holmes was allowing her help, she knew her daddy would be so proud of her when they got him back.

"Is that what you really think of me?" Sherlock rolled his eyes at the older woman, he was getting really tired at everyone expecting the worst of him. He might not be the hero, but he wasn't the villain either.

Martha was speechless for a moment, the fact was she hadn't thought of any other explanation when she had entered in on the scene before her. In her defense he had never given her evidence that he would act any other way. Gathering herself, she set down the few bags she had in her hand and stepped fully into the flat.

"Have either of you eaten?"

Sherlock looked confused for a moment, his eyes slipping to glance at the time. Mrs Hudson flung her arms in the air with a huff and turned on her heel to quickly make a bit of something for the two.

Lidia sat at the kitchen table a few minutes later, happily digging into the quick meal that Mrs Hudson had fixed, her feet kicking back and forth. Sherlock spared a momentary glance at the girl before sending off a text to Molly.

"Have you found anything yet?" Mrs Hudson carefully set a plate on the desk beside Sherlock, her eyes straying to the laptop screen.

"So far there has not even been a whisper, but the sites and chatrooms were a long-shot this early anyway." He had known that, even though he still held a bit of hope that something would pop up.

"I hope you find something soon; the poor dear shouldn't be without her father." Martha patted Sherlock's shoulder, moving quickly away afterwards and towards the kitchen in order to do a bit more cleaning.

* * *

When Molly arrived later on in the afternoon, she was leery at what she would find. It wasn't that she didn't trust Sherlock, he had proven himself able to handle the girl the day before, but that was only after a short amount of time. She had figured after all that time Lidia would have gotten on his nerves and the two would be fighting, or sulking. So she was of course shocked when she entered to the sight of Lidia sitting on Sherlock's lap while he worked on his computer.

Mrs Hudson had been cleaning, a job she found was never ending in 221B, but after seeing the look that came over Molly's face came over to stand beside her.

"Isn't it just adorable? I found them like that earlier, they've been that way all afternoon." Martha leaned in, her voice much louder than the whisper she pretended she would use.

"Ms Hooper! I'm helping find Daddy!" Lidia smiled proudly before turning back to the screen.

Molly just giggled, her hand going up to press against her lips. She had never seen him so accommodating with any other child but Lizzie. She smiled through her giggles; there were many versions of Sherlock she loved, but she had to admit her new favorite was Sherlock with children.

"I'm not adorable." Sherlock practically snarled through clenched teeth, his head lifting to watch the two grown women giggling like adolescent girls. It was unbecoming, or at least that was what he told himself.

Molly and Mrs Hudson just laughed harder, their eyes sparkling with mirth.

"What, I'm not. And I would appreciate it if both of you would stop looking at me that way." He had been looked at that way before, Mary had looked at him that way, right before she told him that he would make a great father one day. It unnerved him to see that look from Molly, even if it did make her eyes twinkle and her cheeks to turn a pleasing shade of pink.

Mrs Hudson shook her head and leaned closer to Molly's ear.

"Whenever Lidia needs the loo Sherlock stands outside the door and whistles for her." It was the sweetest thing she had ever seen, Sherlock propped up against the wall whistling away. She had thought her heart would melt when she snuck around the corner to watch him pick Lidia up in his arms so she could wash her hands.

"Would you both shut up?" He had had it with the women in his life, tittering away at him like he was some grand amusement.

"That's bad Mr Holmes, Daddy says you don't says things like that." Lidia crossed her arms over her chest, looking back and up at Mr Holmes. Shut up was a no-no at home, Daddy always said that only rude people said it.

"Yeah Sherlock, be nice." Molly had finally stopped laughing, but only just. She winked at Sherlock when he rolled his eyes at her. She knew she shouldn't tease him, but sometimes it was just too easy. Plus, she enjoyed their new dynamic, the one where they were actually functioning friends.

"Where have you been?" Lidia smiled up at Ms Hooper, she hadn't seen her all day and she had wondered why. Didn't she live there too?

"I was doing some work at hospital." Molly smiled and quickly shucked her coat and bag. She still wore the clothes she had worn to work, but thankfully her day had been filled mostly with paperwork and she was blood and gore free.

"Are you a nurse or a doctor?" Lidia's eyes went as wide as her smile.

Molly took a moment to think about it before she answered. She really didn't think it was a wise idea to say she cut up dead bodies for a living, it would probably scare the girl. In the end she decided it would be best to keep it simple and vague.

"I'm a doctor." Molly ignored the raised brow of the man in front of her, he had of course noticed her pause, but he really couldn't blame her.

Lidia squealed and bounced a bit in Sherlock's lap, making him grunt in pain. It surprised both Molly and Mrs Hudson when he didn't make her get down and only settled her until she was still.

"I've wanted to be a doctor all my life, and Daddy says that I would be a good one." Lidia couldn't believe it, the nice Ms Hooper was actually Dr Hooper. She practically beamed up at the woman.

"I'm sure you will be too." Molly shifted just a bit at the look that Lidia was giving her, she had never had a child look at her like that. Like she was some sort of superhero, it was a bit overwhelming.

"I didn't ask you here for career advice." Sherlock looked back and forth between Molly and Lidia, unsure what had really just happened.

"You didn't ask me here at all, you demanded actually." She was used to it of course, Sherlock just thinking he could order her about whenever he wanted. Even since the change in their relationship he continued to act in such a way. Then again she had done nothing to stop him, it had just become habit.

"You don't mind, I know that because I know you." She had never turned him down, never told him no, even when she had been with…Tom. He had once likened her to a dog, when he whistled she would come bounding up to him with her tail wagging. It was an image he no longer associated with her, she had changed during his two years away. He knew had she ever really wanted to, she would refuse him. He was just lucky that so far she still wanted to have anything to do with him.

Molly just stuck her tongue out at him, making him laugh lowly. Sadly he was right, but she would never tell him that, his head was big enough as it was.

"You shouldn't do that, Daddy says it's rude. Tongues are meant to stay in the mouth." Lidia's mouth pressed together in a bit of a pout. Why did adults always do the things that they said not to do? It didn't make sense to her.

"Yes Molly, don't be rude." Sherlock smirked, winking at Molly just as she had done.

Mrs Hudson watched on, shaking her head. When John had told her how the two had been acting around each other she hadn't believed a word of it, but it was hard to ignore what she was currently seeing. Seriously, were the two…flirting?

"Well, now that you are here; I want to visit Lidia's house, see if I can find anything." Sherlock cleared his throat, turning away from Molly to shut down his laptop.

"You want me to watch Lidia?" Molly started to pull out a chair to sit, only to notice Sherlock was giving her one of his 'are you really that stupid' looks. She hated when he did that.

"No, I want you to go with me. Mrs Hudson can look after Lidia." Really, why would he need her to watch after Lidia when he had a perfectly able housekeeper to do it?

"What about John?" Sure, she had helped him more often since his return, but she knew he still preferred when John was with him.

"I've been informed not to disturb them for the next few days unless someone actually dies. Lizzie is sick with a cold." It was the baby's first cold, and of course it didn't matter that John was a doctor, he was freaking out just as much as Mary.

"Oh my, is she alright?" Molly frowned, Lizzie was so young. The poor thing, she bet John and Mary were out of their minds with worry.

"She'll be fine, nothing to worry about. Now, shall we go?" Sherlock raised a brow at Molly, hoping that she wouldn't start fretting over Lizzie. He needed her focused, anyway he was sure the girl would be right as rain soon enough. The parent in John might have been worrying, but the doctor in him would take charge in the end and Lizzie would receive the best care.

"I wanna go too!" Lidia looked back and forth between the two adults, not liking that they had been ignoring her.

"No."

"Lidia I don't think that would be best."

Sherlock and Molly spoke at the same time, looking at each other with faint smiles once they had finished.

"It would be better if you stayed here with Mrs Hudson." Molly looked down at Lidia, feeling a bit nervous at the wetness forming in her eyes. She hated when children cried.

"But I wanna go! I can help, Mr Holmes you said I could help!" Lidia began to cry, pressing her face into Sherlock's chest, her fists balled in his shirt.

"Fine!" Sherlock threw up his hands in exasperation, could she just turn it on whenever she wanted?

Molly gave him a strange look, mostly when he pushed Lidia back enough that he could wipe off the tears from her face. She had expected him to grow angry, even snap at the girl, she had never expected him to give in. Or to be so tender, it made her heart clench momentarily.

"It won't really be dangerous, the kidnapper won't return for fear of being caught." Thinking about it, Sherlock decided it might actually turn out for the best. Lidia would be able to fill in any gaps.

Lidia smiled and got up from his lap to grab her coat. Though when no one moved she went over and grabbed Molly's hand, pulling her over to grab one of Sherlock's.

"Hurry up, I want my Daddy back." Lidia tugged on their hands, no longer caring about being rude. They were going to get her daddy back, and that was all she currently cared about.

Sherlock and Molly looked to each other and sighed before allowing the girl to drag them out of the flat and off to gather clues. Not that they really had a choice in the matter.

* * *


	4. The Lonely Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reenactment, an old friend, dinner and conversation, bath time and contemplation, bedtime and stories, and music.

Professor Montgomery's house was what one would expect; nothing spectacular, being short though it contained two levels. The windows were narrow and probably hadn't seen a wash since the nineteen-eighties. Molly's eyes gazed momentarily at the overgrown hedges, great vines had grown throughout the wild branches, curling up and twisting over to attach themselves to the house. This is what she always pictured Sherlock's place to be should he ever decide to take residence in the country; wild and unkempt and yet charming. The house of a man that valued the scholarly overall.

The door creaked with more than age as Sherlock pushed it open, one of the hinges having been broken off when the intruder barged in. His eyes took in everything around him, from the overturned furniture to the congealing food left to rot on the kitchen floor. It took him only moments to piece together a scenario of what had happened; the small family having been interrupted during dinner. Gathering everything he could from that, he quickly spun in order to scan the Professor's bookcase.

Lidia and Molly watched on, the girl's hand tucked into her own. They remained quiet and still, no sound came from them until Lidia could no longer hold onto her tears. She could remember the fear in her daddy's eyes when the loud crash had come from the door, how he had begged her to enter her hiding place. She had tried to be strong, but standing there and looking at her kitchen made all the fear come back once again.

Molly looked down after hearing a soft wail at her side, her heart clenching at the sight of the little girl. She had known it was a horrible idea to bring her with them, even if the kidnapper stayed away, the problem was the memories. She kneeled down, her knees falling between bits of broken chair, and softly wiped her tears away.

"Why don't you show me your room, hm?" She needed to get the girl's mind off of what happened, and Molly knew there was nothing better than to immerse themselves in her things. Little girls loved to show off their collections, and she doubted Lidia would be any different. The girl just nodded and pulled Molly down the hall and to her room.

Sherlock ignored the two, his entire focus on the crime scene. He could make out the movements of the Professor and the assailant, not that it was hard with the mess left behind. The door had been busted down while Montgomery and Lidia ate in the kitchen, Lidia had already been hidden away when he had come into the room, fought with the Professor and dragged him through the….Sherlock blinked as his head shot up. Lidia had been hidden away, but not far. There was only one way in or out of the kitchen, and she would have been seen had she hidden in any other room.

Moving through the kitchen, Sherlock opened doors and tapped against the floorboards until he noticed one far cabinet door hanging open. He knelt down and peered inside, a smile growing as he noticed the sliding door at the back of the cabinet. Lidia had not just been in the house during the abduction, she had been in the very room it happened. He had been asking the girl the wrong questions.

"Lidia, I need you to…" Sherlock shot up from the floor, turning around in order to speak with the girl only to realize that she wasn't there. He felt a moment of panic, had he been wrong about the kidnapper's return? He shook his head, he had blocked Molly and Lidia in order to work, and now he wondered if he shouldn't have kept at least an ear out for them.

Laughter came from further in the house, the sound calming his heart as he followed to a room he realized had to be Lidia's. The image before him stopped him in his tracks, his voice dying on his lips.

Molly sat on the edge of the bed, one leg hanging off while the other curled up on the bright pink blankets. She was surrounded by several mouse dolls that Lidia was proudly showing her. Though it wasn't the hundreds of mouse figurines, dolls, and paintings that stilled him, nor was it the bright pink paint of the walls or the overly girly decorations. No, it was the smile on Molly's face and how it reached her eyes as she played with the doll she had just been handed. It was a smile he had not seen from her before, ever. It left him feeling unsettled.

Clearing his throat he stepped into the room, watching as Molly looked up at him with that smile still in place.

"Lidia, I assume that you had been hidden in the cabinet in the kitchen?" Sherlock clasped his hands behind his back, he found it hard to keep his eyes from wandering to Molly, something he found just as vexing as it was bewildering.

"It's my hidey-hole." Lidia pressed the large doll in her hands to her chest, it had been one her daddy had given her for her last birthday, an Angelina Ballerina.

"So, you would have heard everything that happened…" Sherlock could see Molly's smile fall from the corner of his eyes, but he ignored it and the way she seemed to slash her hand at him. "Lidia, I need you to come with me into the kitchen."

"Ok…" She pressed the doll tighter against her chest. She really didn't want to go back into that room, but she also wanted to help find her daddy and Mr Holmes knew how to do that.

"Lidia, Molly, follow me." Sherlock turned on his heels, not waiting to see if they followed, he knew they would.

Molly sighed, she had an overwhelming urge to toss the doll in her hands at Sherlock. He could be such an infuriating man sometimes, he could be so gentle and kind, but he could also be thoughtless. With another heavy breath, Molly stood and took Lidia's hand in her own before heading out to the kitchen.

"Lidia, I need you to tell me exactly what happened the day that your father was kidnapped; what happened and if you remember if anything was said." Sherlock wasn't looking at the girl, his eyes roaming the room as though something would suddenly pop out and he would miss it if he kept his eyes locked in one place.

"We were eating dinner when there was a noise at the door. Daddy said if someone came into the house that wasn't supposed to I was to go into my hidey-hole and wait until everyone was gone or he told me too." Lidia's voice shook just as much as her legs as she stood in the middle of the room, doll clasped in one hand and the other in Dr Hooper's. "Daddy told me to hide, when I was in there a strange man came in and him and Daddy spoke first and then they started yelling." Remembering the sound of their raised voices made her stomach hurt and she knew she was going to cry again, but she would be strong, she would.

As the girl spoke Sherlock reached over and grabbed her and placed her right in front of the open cabinet door before pulling Molly in the middle of the room.

"What are you doing?" Molly tried to whisper, but her voice came out a bit harsher than she had planned. Not that anyone could blame her.

"Recreating the scene, Lidia was in her hidey-hole, and you will be the Professor while I'll be…"

"Do you really think this is the best idea Sherlock? Lidia needs comfort right now; it is bad enough that you are making her remember all of this, but to play it out too!" She practically growled between her teeth, leaning in so only Sherlock could hear.

"She asked to come, to help, this was her choice Molly." He squeezed the small shoulders under his hands just enough to get his point across.

"Her choice! Sherlock she is five years old, she probably still believes in magic. Do you really think she knows what is best for her?" Molly could see how Lidia shook as she looked around the room, and it bothered her how clueless the detective seemed to be to it all.

"And you do? Look, I'm not trying to traumatize her, but she may well have information that could aide in retrieving her father. She will be fine, you can mollycoddle her all you want afterwards. Now, could we get on with it?" Lidia had held up well so far, she had watched her father be kidnapped and yet she still managed to find her way to 221 and hire him, Sherlock was pretty sure she would survive a few minutes recollection of the event.

"Fine, but if I think she is getting too upset I'm putting a stop to this." Molly knew that it would anger Sherlock, but she wasn't about to allow him to send the girl crying to her room.

Sherlock nodded and slid one hand down to grasp Molly's upper arm, the other loose at his side and curled like he held a gun. "Can you remember anything they said?"

"Only a little, I covered my ears 'cause I was scared." She wanted to cover her ears now and curl up in her hidey-hole, maybe all this was just a dream and when she crawled out again her daddy would be sitting at the table waiting for her.

"Try to think Lidia, try to remember. It could help find your father." He kept his voice soft, he might not be well versed in children, but he wasn't stupid when it came to them. Despite what others might think.

"The strange man said that he would find me and hurt me if Daddy didn't do what he said." Remembering that made her sick and she pressed her hands against her belly. She had never done anything wrong, she had always been a good girl. Why would anyone want to hurt her?

"Was that it? No mention of what he wanted him to do, or where he was taking him?" Surely that wasn't it, there had to have been a fight, something more than a simple threat.

"No, but he did say something about another man. I think, it was a funny name." She had tried not to listen, but the other man had a very loud voice.

"I need you to think Lidia. Think really, really hard." Sherlock released Molly and knelt down in front of the girl, his hands resting lightly atop her shoulders.

Lidia nodded and scrunched her eyes together as she thought, it was a funny name and she remembered that her Daddy had growled when the other man said it. It was Marty or something…Suddenly her eyes flashed open and settled on Mr Holmes.

"He told Daddy it was time to pay his dues, and Moriarty had sent him to collect. What does that mean?" What did her daddy have that the other man wanted?

Molly felt bile rise up into her throat, she had known all along, though she had tried to come up with anything else. She didn't want it to be him, she had hoped since they hadn't heard anything from him since that first message that it would all turn out to be some idiotic prank. Now, with that horrid name being uttered by Lidia, Molly couldn't deny it anymore; Jim was back.

Sherlock looked up from the girl to find Molly absolutely frozen in place, her eyes wide with one hand pressed against her stomach and the other against her open mouth. He looked back down to see Lidia's eyes on the shocked Molly, and realized if he didn't do something quickly he would have two hysterical females on his hands, and if there was anything he could handle less then children it was that.

Standing quickly from the floor, he clasped his hands together and plastered a huge smile on his face.

"It means nothing, don't worry about it. Well, there is nothing more we can do here. Shall we go?" Reaching down he took one of Lidia's hands and walked over to wrap one arm around Molly's shoulder, leading them both back outside.

* * *

When Sherlock had ushered them out of the house, she had thought they would immediately return to 221B, what with the newest development and all. Instead he surprised her when he directed the cabbie towards a small restaurant not far from Baker Street, another one where he had apparently "helped" the owner. For a man that rarely ate, he sure had his pick of establishments where he could acquire low cost to free food.

Molly had smiled when they had been shown to a quiet little table, tucked away in a corner. She wondered if Sherlock had every private table reserved in every restaurant in all of London, if not beyond.

The waiter had been almost simpering as he seated them and took their orders, a large smile on his face as he looked between the three of them. It didn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out that the boy thought Sherlock had found himself a little family of his own, though as the man in question didn't enlighten the boy she left it alone.

Now, sitting beside Sherlock as Lidia ate happily, apparently recovered from her recount of the event, Molly leaned over to whisper to the man next to her.

"Sherlock, what is going on? Is he really back?" Molly felt him jerk slightly, most likely shocked out of his mind palace. Not that she cared at the moment, if he thought he could just drag her along on cases and never explain anything he had another thing coming.

"I had been afraid that this would be the outcome." Sherlock played with the olives on his plate absentmindedly, his mind still halfway focused in his mind palace.

"You guessed that it was Jim from the beginning?" Molly blinked as Sherlock turned to face her, giving her a look that said he clearly knew she had figured out the same thing. She smiled weakly, unable to deny it. Deciding it best to drop that particular the subject, Molly leaned in a bit more so Lidia wouldn't be able to hear even if she was trying to listen in.

"You don't think that her father is working for Jim, do you?" It was one thought that ran through her head multiple times, that this entire thing was one huge ruse to trap Sherlock. It wasn't something she would put past Jim, but the mere thought that Lidia had been dragged into one of his plans left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"I doubt it. I would suspect it is more along the lines that the Professor had asked a favor of him once, and as the other man said, Moriarty is just collecting." Favors, that was more Moriarty's style. Favors and debts.

"Why would he do such a thing; ask a favor from someone like Jim?" She understood all those others, those who wanted to get away with murder or hide something, but what could possibly drive the Professor to risk everything?

Sherlock just nodded his head towards Lidia and sent a significant look towards the woman beside him. Molly leaned back into her own chair, taking a deep breath before setting into her meal. She guessed there were things that one would risk the world for. She feared that was just what Professor Montgomery had done.

* * *

They finally returned to 221B once they finished. Lidia could hardly keep her eyes open by that point, though she had tried her hardest. Molly had smiled down at her as Sherlock carried her into the flat, her head resting against his chest as she blinked her eyes in order to remain awake.

She had directed him to set her down inside the bathroom so she could ready the girl for bed. Molly had waited until Sherlock had left before turning to run a bath, squeezing a bit of his shampoo into the water to create a mountain of bubbles.

While the water ran Molly turned and knelt down on the floor in front of the girl. By that point Lidia had woken up enough that Molly had no fear of her falling off the toilet. Carefully she helped her undress, starting with removing her shoes and stockings.

It had been Mrs Hudson that had changed her clothes the day before and again this morning, so it was a shock when Molly lifted and removed Lidia's dress. Her eyes landed on the girl's chest, tracing the red puckered line she found there.

Molly swallowed thickly, finally understanding the Professor. She smiled once she realized that Lidia had been watching her, and stood to turn the water off. She clenched her eyes shut when she knew that Lidia wouldn't be able to see. Oh, she understood her father, and she couldn't blame him either.

* * *

Sherlock sat in his chair listening as Molly and Lidia sang, giggled, and splashed around. He should have been thinking on the case, instead he couldn't help remembering one night a few weeks ago when he had been over to John's.

_Mary was in the kitchen, giving Lizzie a bath in the sink. Mary could be heard humming as she splashed around in the bubbly water._

_Sherlock rolled his eyes when he noticed his friend, it was pathetic the way John was smiling while he listened on. John just shook his head, laughing at the clueless detective._

_"One day it will change for you too. Well…"_

_"I very much doubt it." Sherlock pressed further back in the chair, turning his face away from John's beaming face. Since he had gotten married he had been talking matrimony up, trying to get Sherlock to see it as an option one day. Sure, he had been wrong when he thought he would never end up someone's best friend, but he really did doubt he would ever end up anyone's husband…or father._

_"I hope for your sake you are wrong, because there is nothing like hearing the laughter of your child and that of the woman you love, to know that they are happy and love you as much as you love them. It's a type of rush that one can't get from a case, and one a man can get addicted to."_

Sitting now in his chair, Sherlock wondered what he would be feeling if Lidia were his and Molly's daughter, surely he wouldn't feel any different at all. Still as he thought on it he felt a tightness in his chest and a need for a smoke…if not something much stronger.

Sadly before he could light one, Molly came out of the bathroom with a dripping Lidia in tow. Without a word Molly marched over to him and took the cigarette away, breaking it in half and tossing it across the room. He just sat there stunned at her gall.

"As long as Lidia is staying here you are not to smoke inside." Not that she really liked him smoking at all, but at the moment she would take that over the drugs.

"This is my flat." Sherlock blinked up at Molly, watching as she crossed her arms over her chest and thrust one hip out as she glared down at him. One would think she thought herself his mother.

"I will bring Mrs Hudson in on this if I have to." Mrs Hudson, John and Mary, hell she would bring in his brother and parents if she had to.

Sherlock snapped his mouth shut, lips pressing into a pout. Molly nodded her head once and promptly sat down in John's old chair, Lidia moving to sit on the floor between her legs. Molly brushed the girl's hair out and started braiding it, smiling at what a scene they made.

She had pictured such a scene before, sitting before the fire while she brushed their child's hair. Sherlock would be where he was now, either reading through one of his books or perched with his laptop on the chair arm while he searched through prospective cases. Molly would watch on, looking up every now and then from her brushing to catch his eye, and he would give her a look that would promise delicious things once the little one was asleep. Of course that had all been fantasy, all before the fall as well.

"Mr Holmes, would you tell me a story?" Lidia looked up at the man in the chair before her. She was more awake then she had been when they first returned, but she still felt tired and really didn't want to go to bed yet.

"Really Lidia…" Sherlock only glanced at the girl before turning his gaze to the fire. If he thought the sounds of Molly and Lidia splashing about in the tub did things to him, he wasn't sure what to say about the scene in front of him. He had never realized that Molly was so maternal, although he should have realized with how she cared for him.

"Please, please, please…" Lidia ignored the pain in her head as she leaned forward, her hair still in Dr Hooper's hands.

"Alright, let's not start that again. Let me see, oh, um, John and I had this case once that dealt with someone receiving several…"

"SHERLOCK! That is not appropriate for a child!" Molly shook her head, it shouldn't have surprised her, it really shouldn't. And still she found herself staring wide-eyed at the man.

"Archie seemed to enjoy them." He lifted a brow and shoulder as he rolled his eyes. What was with all these women in his life? It wasn't like he really planned on telling the girl anything gruesome.

"That is different, I quite imagine Archie is very much like you had been when you were a child." Molly felt sorry for his parents, though not Mycroft, she assumed he was just as much of a pain as Sherlock had been. Of course, thinking about it, she realized they both still were…very much so.

"Maybe a little, still I don't see what that has to do with anything." Sherlock turned fully away from the fire, his eyes landing on Molly's.

"Average children don't want to hear about…well about that." Not that she thought Lidia was average, but she was not about to allow Sherlock to tell her about severed body parts before bed. He would give the girl nightmares.

"Then what do they want to hear about?"

"Fairytales, you know Snow White, Cinderella; princesses, knights, dragons and such." Molly couldn't help but smile at the thought of Sherlock reading some tale about a pretty princess and dashing knight, even doing all the little voices and sound effects.

"You do realize that all of those movies are nowhere close to the actual stories they are based off of? I mean, in the Little Mermaid the mermaid…"

"Don't Sherlock, just don't." Molly leaned forward, her hands still in the thick mass of Lidia's hair.

"Isn't it better that she finds out now?" What was it about adults lying to children, mostly about death? Death was a reality of life, wasn't it better to explain it and teach them to cope earlier on in life?

"No, it isn't. When I was younger a kid at school lent me the original Little Mermaid and when I finished I cried for days. Besides, it's not your place to tell Lidia these things." She even had to admit that she was still upset about that ending; then again Molly was more of a Happily-Ever-After kind of woman, even if she never got her own.

"Tell me what?" Lidia looked up at Mr Holmes before trying to turn her head around to see Dr Hooper, all she got for her effort was a pain in her head as her hair was pulled. She hated it when adults talked about her as though she were not there, she was a child not stupid.

"Nothing, Mr Holmes just is not a very good storyteller. Now, I've finished with your hair, so it is time for bed." Molly ran her hands down the long plait, inwardly giggling at the fly away curls that refused to stay where she had woven them.

"Oh, alright." She really didn't want to go to bed, but even she would have to admit that she was tired. She stood up from the floor, dusting down the frilly nightgown Mrs Hudson had bought her, and without hesitation took a few steps forward to press a kiss on Mr Holmes' cheek. "Goodnight Mr Holmes." Then without another word she ran off to her room.

Molly watched on with a smile and a funny feeling in her stomach. For a moment there she was in another world, one of her mind's own making years before. Her eyes slid down from the doorway that Lidia had just left through and settled on the man by the fire, his cheeks a suspicious pink hue.

"Do. Not. Say. A. Word." Sherlock sent a glare towards the woman beside him. He could see it in her eyes, the laughter that wanted to bubble up. Was he going to be subjected to that sort of behavior every time a child expressed gratitude or affection towards him?

Molly held back her laughter and just lifted a hand to pretend to lock her lips. After a moment when Sherlock rolled his eyes and returned back to watch the fire, she turned and made her way up to tuck the girl in.

Molly waited by the door to John's old room for a few seconds just watching as Lidia slid her legs up underneath the covers, feet wiggling as she got comfortable. She smiled and entered the room, Lidia resting fully back against the pillows.

"Will you tell me a story?" Lidia gazed up at Dr Hooper, a hopeful smile on her lips. Her daddy always told her stories before bed.

"Of course, but first let's get you all nice and tucked up, shall we?" Molly pulled the blankets up and carefully tucked the sides in tightly, the way she remembered her dad doing when she was a child. It always reminded her of hug, warm and comforting. Once done she sat on the edge of the bed, placing a hand on one of Lidia's that she had on her stomach.

"Alright, let me see; oh yes…now you probably have heard all the stories about brave knights in shining armor going off to save all those princesses from dragons, right?" Molly leaned back against the wall as she tried to find a comfortable position.

"Yes, and in the end the knight and the princess fall in love and marry. Is this one of those stories?" As far back as Lidia could remember her daddy had told her all about princesses and knights, he also once told her one where it was the princess that saved the knight from danger. That was her favorite one.

"No, but it is a story about a knight. Only he was a different kind of knight. He didn't have shining armor, in fact it was a bit dented and dull. He didn't have any princesses to save, and there were no dragons breathing fire." Molly smiled to herself as she pictured her knight, he stood tall against the night sky with his wild curls fluttering about in the wind.

"What kind of knight was he?" Turning a bit on her side, Lidia looked up at Dr Hooper. She had heard of white knights in shining armor, even dark, bad knights that did evil deeds, and she wondered which this one was.

"He was a very lonely one, only he hadn't realized it." The smile turned sad as she realized the truth of her words.

"How could he not know he was lonely, that is just silly." Lidia laughed a bit, when she was lonely she knew it, that was just the way it was.

"It is silly, but our poor knight had never had any friends so he didn't know he was supposed to feel lonely." Molly's gaze turned from the little girl and to the doorway, she couldn't understand how anyone lived that way.

"That's sad, why didn't he have any friends?" Was he mean, or maybe he was a bad knight after all. Lidia didn't know, but it made her sad.

"Because the lonely knight was also special. He was very, very smart and everyone around him thought he was strange, all because they didn't understand him. All but a certain few who wanted to be his friends." Molly returned her eyes back to Lidia, smiling widely as the girl seemed to light up.

"That's good." No one should be without friends.

"It is good." Of course not that her knight had understood how good, at least until it seemed to be too late. She still wanted to smack him across the head for that.

"Did they becomes his friends?" Lidia couldn't understand the look the crossed Dr Hooper's face, but it made her stomach feel funny. It was the same look her daddy got when he talked about her mummy. It was sad and happy at the same time and she didn't know if she was supposed to smile or cry.

"Oh yes, they did, very good friends who loved him very much." Too much sometimes, Molly thought.

"Good." Lidia nodded her head and snuggled further down in her covers. She could feel sleep coming on, but she wanted to hear the rest of the story.

"Well, one day one of our knight's friends met a man. She had thought he was a prince, but he was in disguise but the knight saw right through him and told her that he was really an evil wizard." Evil wizard, backstabbing rat bastard…whatever.

"Oh no!" Lidia blinked as she pressed her free hand to her mouth.

"Oh yes, and he was not only an evil wizard, he also wanted to take over all the kingdom that our knight swore to protect. So he fought; fought as hard as he could, but the wizard was good at pretending and made everyone believe that our knight was a bad man." Molly still found herself growing angry at the things she had read in the papers, even after all this time.

"No! What happened?" Lidia started to bite her nails, but Dr Hooper leaned over and pulled her hand away. She looked at her hand and quickly stuffed it under the covers so she wouldn't be tempted again.

"Our knight had to go into hiding, thinking all of his friends thought he was a bad man. Only his friends had refused to believe any of it, they knew for certain that he was good. While he was away he fought and won over the evil wizard and his army, making his kingdom safe once more." Well, he got the army. Though Molly had no doubt that the wizard would find his downfall once and for all, her knight was too determined…and so was she.

"Did he go home then?" She could see their knight in her head, tall and dark, a hero even when no one believed it.

"Yes, he did. By time he returned home everyone had listened to his friends and they all believed that he was a good man." Well, as far as his supposed crimes. Molly had heard whispers around St Bart's when no one thought she was listening.

"Did he live happily-ever-after?" Lidia yawned, though she tried to hide it. She knew she failed when Dr Hooper let go of her hand and tucked her blankets around her even more.

"Yes he did." Or at least until he screwed up again, she would never say it out loud, but there were days where she thanked God for Moriarty. She knew if it hadn't been for his dramatic message she would not be where she was at the moment.

"Good, so he wasn't lonely anymore?" Though she fought another yawn, Lidia hoped she could keep the story going. She really didn't want to go to sleep or be alone.

"No, I don't think he was." Not that he would admit it if he was. No, he would concoct a day of crime solving. Molly laughed to herself, since John had been married she had done more than her far share of that.

"I'm glad."

"I am too, now you need to go to sleep." Molly leaned down and placed a kiss on her forehead before moving towards the door.

"Dr Hooper, is Mr Holmes like that knight?" All through the story she couldn't help but picture Mr Holmes as that lonely knight. She could see him atop a great horse with a sword in hand.

"What do you mean?" Molly stopped at the door, leaning against the frame as she looked back at the girl in the bed.

"Is he lonely?"

"No, not anymore. Now sleep, goodnight." Molly flicked off the light, keeping the door open a crack and she went back downstairs where she found Sherlock still in his chair by the fire.

She stood there just watching him for a moment, the image of him as her knight still in her mind. He liked to say that he was no hero, and she wondered how he would handle it when this case was finished. She knew that once he found the professor that he would be a hero in Lidia's eyes, just as he was in hers.

Without taking the time to think about it, she walked over to him, leaning down until she could press her lips against his cheek. She felt him stiffen and heard his intake of breath and suppressed her laughter. He had kissed her cheek on multiple occasions, but she had never dared to return the sentiment, mostly out of fear of rejection.

She remained where she was perhaps longer than was proper for a friend, but her emotions were running high at the moment. She moved back when she felt him begin to move, his face turning to look up at her with his still pink cheeks and blinking eyes.

"Goodnight Sherlock." She smiled and resisted the urge to press another kiss to his cheek, simply turning and leaving without waiting for a response.

Sherlock remained silent, but his eyes never strayed from her as she left the flat, the warmth from her kiss still lingering on his cheek.

* * *

Sherlock wouldn't call himself a light sleeper, nor that he was normally dead to the world either, still he found himself shocked awake. He ran a hand through his hair and rubbed at his eyes as he looked at the clock, sure he didn't sleep all that much, but he rarely woke up at two in the morning. He groaned and flopped back down against his pillows, only to come in contact with what had shocked him awake in the first place.

Sherlock sat up, careful to keep his sheet against his lap as he looked down at the small child curled up on the other side of the bed.

"What do you think you are doing?" He blinked down at her, trying to deduce if he was maybe still asleep and dreaming the entire thing up. Though as his eyes and mind started to clear he realized that he was awake and he actually did have a child clutching at his pillow as she looked up at him with wide eyes.

"I had a bad dream, can I sleep in here with you?" Lidia had woken up after dreaming about her daddy being taken again, only this time the man had been a monster and had yelled out to her that he was going to eat her if she followed. She had jumped out of her bed, and didn't even think about it as she ran down the stairs and straight to Mr Holmes' room.

"Um, no, you have to sleep in your own room." Sherlock thought about what he was wearing, or lack there of, and grimaced. Maybe he should've worn something to bed seeing as he had a child in his home.

Lidia crawled down from the bed, nodding as she did so. Sherlock sighed as she watched her, the remains of tears still stuck to her cheeks and she made sad little sniffles every few seconds. It made him just as uncomfortable as her actually crying did. It bothered him, all of his reactions to Lidia bothered him.

"Lidia…uh, is there anything I could help you with?" Anything besides sleeping in his bed. He would call Molly to come if he had too, in fact he found himself wanting to call her anyway.

"Daddy always sings to me when I have a bad dream." Lidia wiped her nose on the sleeve of her nightgown and looked up with a hopeful smile at Mr Holmes.

"I don't sing." Of course he also didn't whistle so children could pee before he met her.

"Ok." Lidia nodded again, turned and headed for the door. It had been silly to think Mr Holmes would allow her to sleep in his room or sing to her, he had been nice but he was not her daddy.

"Go back to bed and I will be there in a moment." Sherlock sighed, but felt relieved when Lidia didn't cry or complain and just returned to her room. As soon as he was sure she was gone, he stood and quickly dressed before heading upstairs with his violin in hand.

She was already tucked back up in bed by the time he entered the room, the tears all but gone on her cheeks. She eyed his violin, but said nothing as he came in and stood by the window.

"Shut your eyes and just listen." He was surprised when she continued to be silent and closed her eyes to do as he said. He placed bow to strings and began to play. Nothing loud, nothing complicated. He didn't even play an actual piece, just whatever came to him at the time. The result was a soft lullaby that made him think of summer evenings when he was a child.

Sometime later he realized Lidia had fallen asleep, her small body curled up amongst the many blankets on the bed, chest rising up and down slowly. The music faded away just as quietly as it had started, and Sherlock found himself standing at the girl's bedside. With only a moment's hesitation he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, straightening right after to return to his room and hopefully to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: I know, no Sherlock or Molly in this one, but I wanted to start this out like the movie with the girl's father kidnapped. Don't worry though, we have both of your lovebirds in the next chapter.
> 
> Also, I sort of see Lidia like little Merida. I don't know, it is just how I kept picturing her all through developing this.
> 
> Next Chapter: Doorbells, Double Shifts, friendships, Lidia arrives, a highly inappropriate suggestion.
> 
>  
> 
> _Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._


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